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Give grandparents more custody rights

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Friday January 18, 2013 3:11 AM

Ohio must change its laws concerning grandparents’ rights and responsibilities. The county Children Services department will not intervene and place children with the grandparents unless an obvious case of neglect or abuse is found. The state allows a parent to drop off a child to the grandparents, who then provide all financial, emotional, and physical needs of that child until such time that the parent decides that he wants the child back, regardless of what’s best for that child.

In fact, the state and the court system will allow this scenario to happen with the same child and grandparents over and over again with no consequences. Furthermore, even a power-of-attorney document that is signed, notarized and stamped by the courts means nothing; all the parent has to do is bring the local police with him and take back the child. End of story.

Finally, never mind that the parent or parents don’t call or visit the child for weeks or even months at a time, let alone provide any financial assistance to the grandparents. If the parent wants his child back, the state and our elected officials give him that right.

As my wife and I are grandparents in this type of situation, we think it’s time that the state change the laws in order to do what is right for our children and grandchildren.